ABSTRACT
Unlike a lot of professions where a set pathway of learning bolstered by qualifications will in turn lead to a career, journalism looks hazy. While no training or education in journalism guarantees a job, while no blog or podcast can be a sure-fire way to earn money, certain personal qualities will always be key. Careers advisers are not usually known for their expert guidance in identifying the 14-year-old version of the arts critic and channeling that interest into a life of work. Instead, chance and circumstance are a more likely explanation for how some of the best-known arts writers achieved success. Lessons from the past are only truly useful if people can make them purposeful for the age in which people live now. Increasingly hard to come by, the work experience gig can be a useful way to showcase talents.
